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The Disciplines of the Christian Life
Eric Henry Liddell was a Scottish athlete, rugby union international player, and missionary. He is perhaps most well known as the subject of the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire, which depicted his experiences training and racing in the Olympics and the religious convictions that influenced him. In his book about spiritual disciplines, he outlines his own pattern for living which has as its foundation a daily Bible reading plan.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 1988
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August 14, 2012
A book(let) on developing the devotional life, by well-known runner and missionary Eric Liddell. Yes, the Chariots of Fire guy.
Liddell is best known for two things: refusing to run on a Sunday in the 1924 Paris Olympics, and for moving to China to be a missionary. His willingness to obey his conscience at great cost to himself is admirable, and should be noted (and emulated) by modern Christians, myself included, who are far too willing to compromise conscience for the save of preserving or attaining comfort. Not that I myself think it's sinful to run a race on Sunday, but I applaud his willingness to comply with the mandates of his own conscience and hope I would be willing to do the same.
It's not all that surprising, then, that this book concentrates so vigorously on the importance of obedience, almost to the exclusion of the gospel. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, a brief summary of the book.
After a lackluster-but-heartfelt introduction on the importance of the Christian disciplines (by which Liddell essentially means 'a life of obedience'), Liddell walks the reader through a series of short meditations--one per month for 12 months. The topics of these monthly meditations are rather scattered and disconnected, and seem to be just 12 random things Liddell felt strongly about, as opposed to a cohesive 12-part meditation on Christian disciplines. (In case you're wondering, the 12 topics were: God, the life of Christ (spread out over 2 months), the Law, the character of Jesus, the kingdom of God, love, the life of Paul, Romans, the Holy Spirit, victory, and the Church.) He then closes with a discussion of the intersection between the individual and the church, as demonstrated in baptism, communion, and the Three Great Festivals--Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. There is a brief appendix setting forth Liddell's defense of infant baptism.
I readily admit that many of the disciples/devotional behaviors/acts of obedience Liddell advocates are by no means wrong. They are, in fact, very good things indeed. Unfortunately, he tends to get bogged down in all the things we should do, and spends very little time--if any--on what has already been done. There is some discussion of Christ's death on the cross, and our 'salvation', but there is precious little discussion of what it is we need to be saved from. In Liddell's eyes, we are not so much depraved as weak, unable to live up to God's holy demands until Jesus comes along and empowers us. Which is true, in a sense, but leave out a good bit of the story. Liddell acknowledges that Christ died for our sin (though he doesn't really get into why he needed to die at all--that is, that the penalty for sin is death). Sin is failure, not rebellion. The resulting tone is more of a 'whoops! I tripped and fell on the sidewalk, but Jesus will fix it' rather than a 'orphaned young bride is deliberately--and repeatedly--unfaithful to her kind and generous husband.' The seriousness of sin is greatly demeaned by this tone. And as a result, the glory of the gospel is diminished. After all, which is a more striking picture of God's love: a father teaching his cute (and well-intentioned) tot to walk, or a cuckholded husband dying to save his treacherous bride? As the darkness of our sin becomes clearer, the glory of the gospel shine brighter. Liddell, at least in this volume, seems to underestimate both.
This deficient portrayal of the gospel seeps out across his various admonitions. Apparently, the Christian life (according to Liddell) is all about what we do, not what Jesus has already done. We pray, and read, and go to church, and love our neighbor, and try to live like Christ, and so on. There is, I think, far too much doing in this book and not nearly enough done. Again, not that Liddell's wrong, exactly. Christians should pray and read our bibles and the fruit of the Spirit should be manifest in our lives. But the overall posture of a Christian is not solely as an actor. Rather, we are passive recipients of God's grace, and it is that grace that produces action in us.
To be fair, I realize this is a book about Christian disciplines, so of course Liddell is going to spend a fair amount of time talking about, well, disciplines--things we do. I just wish he'd made the gospel clearer and built his practical suggestions on a more explicit foundation of grace.
A note about the edition: Simon Vance has narrated something like 400 audiobooks (according to a quick search on Audible.com), including the recent Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books. The man knows what he's doing, is what I'm saying. For this production, the Brit dons a serviceable Scottish accent, which lends a nice touch of credibility to the book, as Liddell was a Scotsman himself. Kudos to ChristianAudio for not bringing in an American to do the job.
[This audiobook is available as a free download from ChristianAudio.com during the month of August.]
Liddell is best known for two things: refusing to run on a Sunday in the 1924 Paris Olympics, and for moving to China to be a missionary. His willingness to obey his conscience at great cost to himself is admirable, and should be noted (and emulated) by modern Christians, myself included, who are far too willing to compromise conscience for the save of preserving or attaining comfort. Not that I myself think it's sinful to run a race on Sunday, but I applaud his willingness to comply with the mandates of his own conscience and hope I would be willing to do the same.
It's not all that surprising, then, that this book concentrates so vigorously on the importance of obedience, almost to the exclusion of the gospel. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, a brief summary of the book.
After a lackluster-but-heartfelt introduction on the importance of the Christian disciplines (by which Liddell essentially means 'a life of obedience'), Liddell walks the reader through a series of short meditations--one per month for 12 months. The topics of these monthly meditations are rather scattered and disconnected, and seem to be just 12 random things Liddell felt strongly about, as opposed to a cohesive 12-part meditation on Christian disciplines. (In case you're wondering, the 12 topics were: God, the life of Christ (spread out over 2 months), the Law, the character of Jesus, the kingdom of God, love, the life of Paul, Romans, the Holy Spirit, victory, and the Church.) He then closes with a discussion of the intersection between the individual and the church, as demonstrated in baptism, communion, and the Three Great Festivals--Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. There is a brief appendix setting forth Liddell's defense of infant baptism.
I readily admit that many of the disciples/devotional behaviors/acts of obedience Liddell advocates are by no means wrong. They are, in fact, very good things indeed. Unfortunately, he tends to get bogged down in all the things we should do, and spends very little time--if any--on what has already been done. There is some discussion of Christ's death on the cross, and our 'salvation', but there is precious little discussion of what it is we need to be saved from. In Liddell's eyes, we are not so much depraved as weak, unable to live up to God's holy demands until Jesus comes along and empowers us. Which is true, in a sense, but leave out a good bit of the story. Liddell acknowledges that Christ died for our sin (though he doesn't really get into why he needed to die at all--that is, that the penalty for sin is death). Sin is failure, not rebellion. The resulting tone is more of a 'whoops! I tripped and fell on the sidewalk, but Jesus will fix it' rather than a 'orphaned young bride is deliberately--and repeatedly--unfaithful to her kind and generous husband.' The seriousness of sin is greatly demeaned by this tone. And as a result, the glory of the gospel is diminished. After all, which is a more striking picture of God's love: a father teaching his cute (and well-intentioned) tot to walk, or a cuckholded husband dying to save his treacherous bride? As the darkness of our sin becomes clearer, the glory of the gospel shine brighter. Liddell, at least in this volume, seems to underestimate both.
This deficient portrayal of the gospel seeps out across his various admonitions. Apparently, the Christian life (according to Liddell) is all about what we do, not what Jesus has already done. We pray, and read, and go to church, and love our neighbor, and try to live like Christ, and so on. There is, I think, far too much doing in this book and not nearly enough done. Again, not that Liddell's wrong, exactly. Christians should pray and read our bibles and the fruit of the Spirit should be manifest in our lives. But the overall posture of a Christian is not solely as an actor. Rather, we are passive recipients of God's grace, and it is that grace that produces action in us.
To be fair, I realize this is a book about Christian disciplines, so of course Liddell is going to spend a fair amount of time talking about, well, disciplines--things we do. I just wish he'd made the gospel clearer and built his practical suggestions on a more explicit foundation of grace.
A note about the edition: Simon Vance has narrated something like 400 audiobooks (according to a quick search on Audible.com), including the recent Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books. The man knows what he's doing, is what I'm saying. For this production, the Brit dons a serviceable Scottish accent, which lends a nice touch of credibility to the book, as Liddell was a Scotsman himself. Kudos to ChristianAudio for not bringing in an American to do the job.
[This audiobook is available as a free download from ChristianAudio.com during the month of August.]
December 18, 2022
Excellent! Many good thoughts and reminders.
October 13, 2021
Reread 2021:
I needed a short, Sunday afternoon audio book, preferably one I'd listened to before so it wouldn't matter if I dozed off briefly. I ended up listening to this one, but mostly it just reminded me that I should really give it another, slower and more wakeful, listen soon. There's SO much here to absorb!
Original review:
In the sense of being a practical how-to and reminder of basic elements of the faith this book is excellent, and even so densely packed with information that it's difficult to absorb it all on one read through (especially on audio). There were a few points where I wasn't sure (again, listening on audio and hard to absorb it all) if his theology was a bit off, or he was just wording things differently from what I'm used to in more modern terms.
I needed a short, Sunday afternoon audio book, preferably one I'd listened to before so it wouldn't matter if I dozed off briefly. I ended up listening to this one, but mostly it just reminded me that I should really give it another, slower and more wakeful, listen soon. There's SO much here to absorb!
Original review:
In the sense of being a practical how-to and reminder of basic elements of the faith this book is excellent, and even so densely packed with information that it's difficult to absorb it all on one read through (especially on audio). There were a few points where I wasn't sure (again, listening on audio and hard to absorb it all) if his theology was a bit off, or he was just wording things differently from what I'm used to in more modern terms.
August 15, 2018
The preface to Eric Liddell’s book on discipline begins with a similar quotation by Aristotle. Something regarding all virtue residing in free choice. On first glance that might seem unCalvistic, but obedience is a choice that can be made after regeneration through the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by virtue of Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement. People talk about Liddell as if he raced without any thoughts to competition, but it was also stated in the preface to his book that the feeling of competition helped those interned in a Japanese concentration camp. Liddell advocates in his book something akin to an accountability group in that he suggests that telling a present fellow human what you would tell God greatly mortifies pride. But we don’t want to do that, because pride. He also mentions not limiting methods of sanctification because of pride:
“Do not try to limit God to the smallness of your
prejudices. God honours many ways of surrendering. Do
not try to avoid one method because it hurts your pride.
Pride must go. You may find you have to come back to the
very method you have been trying to avoid. “
Lack of discipline itself can be a form of prideful narcissism that can quench the Spirit. Liddell states that Christian should read his Bible every day, and think about how the words apply to his life. These are habits, which can either be built up through action, or torn down through inaction.
Liddel also advocates going without things after praying, in a kind of mild asceticism. He emphasizes like Bunyan that obedience is to do, not to know. “It is doing, not knowing, which is righteousness.” He also implies his knowledge that Christ is a walking transcript of the law, and that if something is consistent with “the character and teaching of” Christ, then you should do it in accordance with Romans 8:29, Romans 12:2, and Luke 2:52:
“Obedience to God's will is the secret of spiritual
knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but
willingness to do (obey) God's will that brings enlightenment
and certainty regarding spiritual truth. 'If any man will do
[obey] his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be
of God, or whether I speak of myself' (John 7.17).
Here are some questions to ask yourself. If I know
something to be true, am I prepared to follow it even
though it is contrary to what I want, to what I have
previously said or held to be true? Will I follow it if it
means loss of face, owning that I was wrong? Will I follow if
it means being laughed at by friend or foe, if it means
personal financial loss or some kind of hardship?
Following truth leads to God, for truth is of God.
Obedience is the secret Of being conscious that God
guides you personally, If in the quiet of your heart you feel
something should be done, stop and consider whether it is
in line with the character and teaching of Jesus. If so, obey
that impulse to do it, and in doing so you will find it
God guiding you.”
This is very similar to the common shorthand of asking what Jesus would do. We should conform to the image of Christ by looking at what Christ did and extrapolating what he would do if he were in our various situations. Christ is Christian’s ideal. This is one reason why we read the Gospels. This is a habit which can be strengthened through action or weakened through inaction.
Liddell states that “Self-discipline is essential in the Christian life.” Discipline is related to all aspects of life. It is grace which fuels the will to exercise discipline, in which the law and grace sweetly comply.
Self-discipline is a part of stewardship, which God requires. Liddell states the demands of stewardship:
“If I borrow money I can use it as I please; the only obligation is to
repay at the appointed time. Here I am a debtor. A steward is not so.
What he has is not borrowed for his use, but loaned him on trust, to be
used as his master desires. His obligations are twofold:
l. He must use his master's gins according to his master's will.
2. He has no obligation to repay but must give an account of his
stewardship when his master asks for it.
This is what we mean by saying we are stewards of God's gifts. All
that we are. all that we have, and all the latent possibilities within us
are God's gifts. to he used according to his will and for his glory.
Some day we must render an account of our stewardship.”
Just as the steward does not deserve salvation, the Steward does not deserve God’s gifts, but is nonetheless responsible for discipling himself through habits to use them well. To do otherwise would be an act of pride. Being a good steward is a function of habits, which require acting rightly. These habits can be strengthened through action and weakened through inaction. Excellence as a steward is an art won by training and habituation. Just as Liddell’s excellence in running required training and habituation, so too does obedience. If one do not pre-commit to a good habit, one will usually and inadvertently fall into a bad habit. Such is the fallen human nature.
The rest of the book is more theologically balanced, because it refers to the reliance on Christ that is necessary for the Christian to grow in the disciplines of grace.
There are a number of historical inaccuracies in the movie in which Liddel is depicted, Chariots of Fire. In the real world, the schedule for the 100-metre heat was public months beforehand. Liddell trained for something else instead. It looks like Abrahams in the real world did not race Liddell exactly like in the movie either. I see no source for Liddell actually saying the most famous words that his character in the movie says. Liddell’s book on discipline suggests that when Liddell disciplined himself, he felt God’s pleasure.
Guess what he said about unselfishness. Guess. He said that
“Do not try to limit God to the smallness of your
prejudices. God honours many ways of surrendering. Do
not try to avoid one method because it hurts your pride.
Pride must go. You may find you have to come back to the
very method you have been trying to avoid. “
Lack of discipline itself can be a form of prideful narcissism that can quench the Spirit. Liddell states that Christian should read his Bible every day, and think about how the words apply to his life. These are habits, which can either be built up through action, or torn down through inaction.
Liddel also advocates going without things after praying, in a kind of mild asceticism. He emphasizes like Bunyan that obedience is to do, not to know. “It is doing, not knowing, which is righteousness.” He also implies his knowledge that Christ is a walking transcript of the law, and that if something is consistent with “the character and teaching of” Christ, then you should do it in accordance with Romans 8:29, Romans 12:2, and Luke 2:52:
“Obedience to God's will is the secret of spiritual
knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but
willingness to do (obey) God's will that brings enlightenment
and certainty regarding spiritual truth. 'If any man will do
[obey] his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be
of God, or whether I speak of myself' (John 7.17).
Here are some questions to ask yourself. If I know
something to be true, am I prepared to follow it even
though it is contrary to what I want, to what I have
previously said or held to be true? Will I follow it if it
means loss of face, owning that I was wrong? Will I follow if
it means being laughed at by friend or foe, if it means
personal financial loss or some kind of hardship?
Following truth leads to God, for truth is of God.
Obedience is the secret Of being conscious that God
guides you personally, If in the quiet of your heart you feel
something should be done, stop and consider whether it is
in line with the character and teaching of Jesus. If so, obey
that impulse to do it, and in doing so you will find it
God guiding you.”
This is very similar to the common shorthand of asking what Jesus would do. We should conform to the image of Christ by looking at what Christ did and extrapolating what he would do if he were in our various situations. Christ is Christian’s ideal. This is one reason why we read the Gospels. This is a habit which can be strengthened through action or weakened through inaction.
Liddell states that “Self-discipline is essential in the Christian life.” Discipline is related to all aspects of life. It is grace which fuels the will to exercise discipline, in which the law and grace sweetly comply.
Self-discipline is a part of stewardship, which God requires. Liddell states the demands of stewardship:
“If I borrow money I can use it as I please; the only obligation is to
repay at the appointed time. Here I am a debtor. A steward is not so.
What he has is not borrowed for his use, but loaned him on trust, to be
used as his master desires. His obligations are twofold:
l. He must use his master's gins according to his master's will.
2. He has no obligation to repay but must give an account of his
stewardship when his master asks for it.
This is what we mean by saying we are stewards of God's gifts. All
that we are. all that we have, and all the latent possibilities within us
are God's gifts. to he used according to his will and for his glory.
Some day we must render an account of our stewardship.”
Just as the steward does not deserve salvation, the Steward does not deserve God’s gifts, but is nonetheless responsible for discipling himself through habits to use them well. To do otherwise would be an act of pride. Being a good steward is a function of habits, which require acting rightly. These habits can be strengthened through action and weakened through inaction. Excellence as a steward is an art won by training and habituation. Just as Liddell’s excellence in running required training and habituation, so too does obedience. If one do not pre-commit to a good habit, one will usually and inadvertently fall into a bad habit. Such is the fallen human nature.
The rest of the book is more theologically balanced, because it refers to the reliance on Christ that is necessary for the Christian to grow in the disciplines of grace.
There are a number of historical inaccuracies in the movie in which Liddel is depicted, Chariots of Fire. In the real world, the schedule for the 100-metre heat was public months beforehand. Liddell trained for something else instead. It looks like Abrahams in the real world did not race Liddell exactly like in the movie either. I see no source for Liddell actually saying the most famous words that his character in the movie says. Liddell’s book on discipline suggests that when Liddell disciplined himself, he felt God’s pleasure.
Guess what he said about unselfishness. Guess. He said that
December 31, 2019
An excellent guide to keep one focused on the Word if God. A bible reading plan of sorts, definitely helped to focus on not only what to read each day but why.
March 22, 2023
This book is excellent!
I would recommend it to anyone, with only one caution: the appendix on infant baptism, in which he essentially explains infant baptism as synonymous with dedication, and for authority cites church tradition.
His thoughts on believer’s baptism are good and Biblically-based, but I can see a new believer becoming confused or stumbling over what he says about infant baptism. It is in an appendix at the end, though, and not in the main body of the book.
I would recommend it to anyone, with only one caution: the appendix on infant baptism, in which he essentially explains infant baptism as synonymous with dedication, and for authority cites church tradition.
His thoughts on believer’s baptism are good and Biblically-based, but I can see a new believer becoming confused or stumbling over what he says about infant baptism. It is in an appendix at the end, though, and not in the main body of the book.
October 5, 2021
Excellent read for any followers of Jesus. Devotional style writing. Liddell has excellent material!
Quotes:
Obedience: You will know as much of god and only as much of God as you are willing to put into practice.
What is sin? Sin is rebellion against God, I do what I want. It is the attitude of My will, not thine be done. Therefore, God asks the surrender of my will. Sin is anything we know we should do, but won't or don't do. It is therefore, disobedience. It is anything we know we should not do, but do. Sin is anything that separates me from God or another person. It includes attitudes like pride, snobbishness, envy, spite, anger, hatred, selfishness. Therefore, God asks the surrender of these attitudes. Sin is coming short. It includes thoughtlessness about others. (Treasonous?) in its relationship to ourselves and others, and all those shortcomings which we so easily excuse in ourselves but condemnation in others. Sin is anything that is not of faith, that I cannot fully justify to my conscience.
Jesus took for granted that a life with the above character (Sermon on the Mount) would be persecuted. The world is not willing to face the challenge of such a life. It wants only an average character. Those below its put in prison, those above it persecutes and rejects. The only way to face persecution is to rejoice, any other way fails to come out victorious. Acts 5:41
Jesus bids us to pray for it. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. That is, we pray for the kingdom as it already exists in heaven, which brings at once, the stirring thoughts so easily ignored in the materialism of earth life, that this kingdom is already existing with all its powers and laws in the spiritual world from which Jesus came. Jesus is only founding a colony on earth of the already existing kingdom of heaven. Phil. 3:20
The laws of the kingdom concern the hearts of people, their thoughts, desires, motives, actions in which those issue. The rule of Christ is never imposed and never sustained by any kind of violence. Christ wins [people] into his kingdom and holds them there by the power of his goodness and love.
We identify ourselves with Christ's sacrifice. We sacrifice in the sacrament. It is a sacrifice of the spirit, to forgive the one who has wronged us, to love our enemy, to conquer pride, to deny the sins that do so easily beset us, to deny ourselves and take up our cross. These all mean sacrifice. Unless we make the sacrifice, the cross that Jesus bore for us has not brought us into reconciliation with God.
In the Lord's Supper, no one has any right at any time to go to the Lord's table unless they realize what God is offering them, and what we are promising God. let us examine ourselves in regards to our discipleship. 1, Are we will for Christ's sake to give up everything we know to be wrong? 2, To do some difficult duty we should do? 3, To put right relationships that are not in accordance with God's law or God's will? 4, To deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him? These are some of the questions we must face if there is to be any spiritual union with our life to Christ's risen life. God asks willingness to obey, not worthiness of life, for no one is worthy. We come to his table in our need.
Quotes:
Obedience: You will know as much of god and only as much of God as you are willing to put into practice.
What is sin? Sin is rebellion against God, I do what I want. It is the attitude of My will, not thine be done. Therefore, God asks the surrender of my will. Sin is anything we know we should do, but won't or don't do. It is therefore, disobedience. It is anything we know we should not do, but do. Sin is anything that separates me from God or another person. It includes attitudes like pride, snobbishness, envy, spite, anger, hatred, selfishness. Therefore, God asks the surrender of these attitudes. Sin is coming short. It includes thoughtlessness about others. (Treasonous?) in its relationship to ourselves and others, and all those shortcomings which we so easily excuse in ourselves but condemnation in others. Sin is anything that is not of faith, that I cannot fully justify to my conscience.
Jesus took for granted that a life with the above character (Sermon on the Mount) would be persecuted. The world is not willing to face the challenge of such a life. It wants only an average character. Those below its put in prison, those above it persecutes and rejects. The only way to face persecution is to rejoice, any other way fails to come out victorious. Acts 5:41
Jesus bids us to pray for it. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. That is, we pray for the kingdom as it already exists in heaven, which brings at once, the stirring thoughts so easily ignored in the materialism of earth life, that this kingdom is already existing with all its powers and laws in the spiritual world from which Jesus came. Jesus is only founding a colony on earth of the already existing kingdom of heaven. Phil. 3:20
The laws of the kingdom concern the hearts of people, their thoughts, desires, motives, actions in which those issue. The rule of Christ is never imposed and never sustained by any kind of violence. Christ wins [people] into his kingdom and holds them there by the power of his goodness and love.
We identify ourselves with Christ's sacrifice. We sacrifice in the sacrament. It is a sacrifice of the spirit, to forgive the one who has wronged us, to love our enemy, to conquer pride, to deny the sins that do so easily beset us, to deny ourselves and take up our cross. These all mean sacrifice. Unless we make the sacrifice, the cross that Jesus bore for us has not brought us into reconciliation with God.
In the Lord's Supper, no one has any right at any time to go to the Lord's table unless they realize what God is offering them, and what we are promising God. let us examine ourselves in regards to our discipleship. 1, Are we will for Christ's sake to give up everything we know to be wrong? 2, To do some difficult duty we should do? 3, To put right relationships that are not in accordance with God's law or God's will? 4, To deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him? These are some of the questions we must face if there is to be any spiritual union with our life to Christ's risen life. God asks willingness to obey, not worthiness of life, for no one is worthy. We come to his table in our need.
June 7, 2022
A Professor of Classics read several biographies on the famed Scotsman from Chariots of Fire. From them he learned that Liddell had 2 pamphlets published before his death.
He also learned that there was a manuscript Liddell had written while in a Japanese internment camp. It had circulated through the camp but no one knew what became of it.
The search began and with the help of Liddell's widow, the manuscript was located and published.
This book begins with a story of a man who remembered "Uncle Eric" when he was a young boy in the internment camp. While missing his own wife and daughters who were safe in Canada, Liddell poured his life into helping those around them and took the boys under his care, running races with them.
The Disciplines of the Christian Life is built upon the idea of "precept on precept" with a daily reading plan of the Bible throughout the year. Unlike most plans, instead of deluging the individual with the breakdown of how to accomplish the reading of the entire Bible in one year (which isn't a bad thing but can be discouraging to those who attempt to keep up with the reading plan, fail and then give up).
This plan is easily managable, using themes to disciple a person in the major tenets of the faith. Liddell also builds upon the ideas with a bit of practical commentary and tips for how to study the Bible and pray.
Although he gives ideas on how to grow spiritually, instead of getting caught up in the legalism of having only one way to do something, he gives suggestions but admits there are many ways/times of the day to set aside for study and prayer.
Also the plan does not begin on the first day of January, but goes month by month. In other words, most people are caught up in having to start January 1 and give up before they start if they don't begin according to schedule. This book designed to pick up any time of the year.
Month One-The Nature of God, Communicating with God, God's Moral Law
Month Two-Jesus in Mark's Gospel Part I
Month Three-Jesus in Mark's Gospel Part II
Month Four-God's Moral Law
Month Five-The Character of Jesus
Month Six-The Kingdom of God/The Kingdom of Heaven
Month Seven-God is Love
Month Eight-The Life of Paul in The Acts of the Apostles
Month Nine-The Epistle to the Romans, Paul's Gospel
Month Ten-The Holy Spirit
Month Eleven-Victory
Month Twelve-The Fellowship/The Church
In the Appendix are helps for new Christians: Baptism, Communion, and Scripture readings for the three great festivals of the church (Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost)
Having been a fan of the movie, Chariots of Fire, I enjoyed reading through a book that Liddell had written, and was later found to be printed posthumously.
He also learned that there was a manuscript Liddell had written while in a Japanese internment camp. It had circulated through the camp but no one knew what became of it.
The search began and with the help of Liddell's widow, the manuscript was located and published.
This book begins with a story of a man who remembered "Uncle Eric" when he was a young boy in the internment camp. While missing his own wife and daughters who were safe in Canada, Liddell poured his life into helping those around them and took the boys under his care, running races with them.
The Disciplines of the Christian Life is built upon the idea of "precept on precept" with a daily reading plan of the Bible throughout the year. Unlike most plans, instead of deluging the individual with the breakdown of how to accomplish the reading of the entire Bible in one year (which isn't a bad thing but can be discouraging to those who attempt to keep up with the reading plan, fail and then give up).
This plan is easily managable, using themes to disciple a person in the major tenets of the faith. Liddell also builds upon the ideas with a bit of practical commentary and tips for how to study the Bible and pray.
Although he gives ideas on how to grow spiritually, instead of getting caught up in the legalism of having only one way to do something, he gives suggestions but admits there are many ways/times of the day to set aside for study and prayer.
Also the plan does not begin on the first day of January, but goes month by month. In other words, most people are caught up in having to start January 1 and give up before they start if they don't begin according to schedule. This book designed to pick up any time of the year.
Month One-The Nature of God, Communicating with God, God's Moral Law
Month Two-Jesus in Mark's Gospel Part I
Month Three-Jesus in Mark's Gospel Part II
Month Four-God's Moral Law
Month Five-The Character of Jesus
Month Six-The Kingdom of God/The Kingdom of Heaven
Month Seven-God is Love
Month Eight-The Life of Paul in The Acts of the Apostles
Month Nine-The Epistle to the Romans, Paul's Gospel
Month Ten-The Holy Spirit
Month Eleven-Victory
Month Twelve-The Fellowship/The Church
In the Appendix are helps for new Christians: Baptism, Communion, and Scripture readings for the three great festivals of the church (Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost)
Having been a fan of the movie, Chariots of Fire, I enjoyed reading through a book that Liddell had written, and was later found to be printed posthumously.
December 12, 2022
A lot of powerful punches in this book. The author lived out a dedicated, devoted and disciplined. Great thoughts on life disciplines. Here are some good takeaways from the book:
The secrets of growth are to develop a walk with God.
You will know as much of God as you are willing to put into practice.
The bravest moment in a person’s life is when they look at themselves objectively without wincing.
God asks you to surrender yourself to Him!
Righteousness includes honesty in every area of life.
For a man to know his weaknesses is the first step in conquering them.
Love is the secret of a happy home.
The Bible says that we are stewards. God speaks of a wise steward, a foolish steward, a slothful steward, and faithful steward.
You are a steward of your mind, possessions, body, money, and time.
Fear comes from looking at self instead of looking at Jesus.
The church needs your worship, your witness, and your work.
The secrets of growth are to develop a walk with God.
You will know as much of God as you are willing to put into practice.
The bravest moment in a person’s life is when they look at themselves objectively without wincing.
God asks you to surrender yourself to Him!
Righteousness includes honesty in every area of life.
For a man to know his weaknesses is the first step in conquering them.
Love is the secret of a happy home.
The Bible says that we are stewards. God speaks of a wise steward, a foolish steward, a slothful steward, and faithful steward.
You are a steward of your mind, possessions, body, money, and time.
Fear comes from looking at self instead of looking at Jesus.
The church needs your worship, your witness, and your work.
August 14, 2020
The Disciplines of the Christian Life is written by the well-known Scottish runner and missionary t0 China, Eric Liddell (portrayed in the five-star movie Chariots of Fire). It is his only written book and is a yearly devotional that focuses on the attributes and disciplines that a believer should strive to have.
One reason that this book means so much to me is that is sounds like Eric is one-on-one teaching you these lessons. It is also simple to read and very applicable to your everyday life. I first read it in 2017/2018 and I am currently reading it the third time. I have been encouraged by Eric Liddell's life and testimony over many years now and reading a book he wrote was very special.
One reason that this book means so much to me is that is sounds like Eric is one-on-one teaching you these lessons. It is also simple to read and very applicable to your everyday life. I first read it in 2017/2018 and I am currently reading it the third time. I have been encouraged by Eric Liddell's life and testimony over many years now and reading a book he wrote was very special.
March 3, 2018
Very strange book. It is comprised mostly of the most rudimentary disciplines and explanations of the Christian life, interspersed with the occasional, seemingly off-topic theological discussion. This book cannot decide whether it is a step-by-step for the very much new-believer or a dogmatic assertion of some random, much disputed finer theological points. One minute Liddell is telling us that the believer should set aside time each day to pray and meditate on the Scriptures, the next he is giving us a timeline of the life of Paul. Odd.
February 6, 2019
I was expecting this book to be more like Whitney's work on Spiritual Disciplines, but it is really not that at all, so I found the title and description misleading. I think just "The Christian Life" would have been a more apt title, because it is a kind of Christianity 101 overview of the faith instead of a work on disciplines solely. As such, it does alright, but the author's style is very random and not formulated well into a coherent whole. Liddell, no doubt, makes some excellent points about Christianity, but this was not what I was looking for.
April 17, 2024
This book is mostly a yearly guide of reflections and Scripture readings. I may return to these pages as it does provide some rich devotional thoughts and good collating of topics to reflect upon month by month. I find Liddell's conviction to shine through in these pages. It was encouraging to read because some of the excerpts of his preaching from Hamilton's biography emphasize the works-focus of Liddell in standing right before God. Liddell's devotional thoughts painted a hugely different story of the God who initiates and meets us in our need. Good book. Mostly standard.
November 1, 2018
I really liked this. Very practical, and breathed spirituality, from a man who manifestly had discipline. To abandon the game of the track to serve God in China is a rare case of anti-celebrity. His training as an athlete also adds an additional viewpoint on the importance of discipline in the Christian life. His focus on surrender as the key to growth, is one I have not heard emphasised for a long time, and yet strikes a surprising echo in the culture of our day.
June 26, 2017
This was a nice and short book on the disciplines. It doesn't exactly go over the "spiritual disciplines" like Donald Whitney or Richard Foster's books, but it was still helpful. Liddell's book was strong regarding our corporate expression of the disciplines within the body of Christ.
April 5, 2018
I used this more as a devotional to help me go over the foundational Christian doctrines and I tried to keep Eric Liddell’s life in mind as I was reading it, and it was a great experience. A good start for a new believer.
November 16, 2022
I enjoyed this one very much, but think I would like it even better in print version. (Sometimes books that deal with faith aspects don't sink in for me as well when I listen in audio.) One I will revisit from time to time.
June 26, 2024
It was OK. Maybe my expectation was higher. I did have a couple theological quibbles, and there seem to be a couple hints of liberalism peppered in. Which would make sense since the church of Scotland kind of started going that route around this time.
November 18, 2017
Easy read. Very applicable to every-day life.
August 3, 2018
Good reminders of the basics, and a glimpse into the beliefs of the well-known runner.
March 15, 2019
It has some quirks, but in the whole I am pleased. It seems to be something of a new believers discipleship tool to train and instruct young believers.
January 29, 2020
This booklet is best approached as a foundational guide to the Christian life. It's simple, and would be great reading as a daily devotional.
March 15, 2020
This was a very nice and inspirational devotional by a remarkable man.
October 27, 2020
Essentials of the Christian life
February 18, 2021
If you ignore what he says about the sacraments this is a pretty good book.
May 7, 2023
Excellent review of all the most important Christian Disciplines and practical steps in discipleship.
July 29, 2025
Good devotional! I think it's meant to be a monthly guide, but I just made my way through it about once a week or so.
December 19, 2013
Eric Liddell was the Olympic track champion who, in 1924, refused to race on a Sunday, but who later set a world record in the 400m. His life inspired the movie “Chariots of Fire.” Liddell was also a passionate follower of Jesus Christ who served as a missionary in China until his death during World War II.
In The Disciplines of the Christian Life, Liddell shares some of the basic knowledge and practices that should be present in the life of a believer in order for that person to grow.
ON the positive side, it is a simple joy to read the thoughts of this believer who let go of so much worldly fame to take the gospel to China. Liddell does a fine job of offering wise counsel and simple theology for converts to easily grasp. He even cautions well against taking his disciplines so seriously as to become legalistic about them.
Like any work, Liddell’s doctrine will not fit with every Christian. For example, Liddell teaches infant baptism, which will not fit well with some denominations. I also would have liked greater clarity from the author in his discussion of the fact that man is made in God’s image or in the doctrine of the atonement. However, this work is short and Liddell is not attempting to be Wayne Grudem, and so I certainly believe that discerning readers will find much in the book to enjoy.
I would happily recommend The Disciplines of the Christian Life to anyone who is fascinated by Liddell’s story or who would find it inspiring to see how a missionary to China in the early twentieth century taught his converts to follow God. Believers who wish to be challenged to grow and to be committed to their growth also will benefit from this book.
As part of their reviewers program, I listened to the excellent audio version of this work produced by ChristianAudio.com. Simon Vance did an outstanding job reading this short text, even using a sweet accent in the process.
In The Disciplines of the Christian Life, Liddell shares some of the basic knowledge and practices that should be present in the life of a believer in order for that person to grow.
ON the positive side, it is a simple joy to read the thoughts of this believer who let go of so much worldly fame to take the gospel to China. Liddell does a fine job of offering wise counsel and simple theology for converts to easily grasp. He even cautions well against taking his disciplines so seriously as to become legalistic about them.
Like any work, Liddell’s doctrine will not fit with every Christian. For example, Liddell teaches infant baptism, which will not fit well with some denominations. I also would have liked greater clarity from the author in his discussion of the fact that man is made in God’s image or in the doctrine of the atonement. However, this work is short and Liddell is not attempting to be Wayne Grudem, and so I certainly believe that discerning readers will find much in the book to enjoy.
I would happily recommend The Disciplines of the Christian Life to anyone who is fascinated by Liddell’s story or who would find it inspiring to see how a missionary to China in the early twentieth century taught his converts to follow God. Believers who wish to be challenged to grow and to be committed to their growth also will benefit from this book.
As part of their reviewers program, I listened to the excellent audio version of this work produced by ChristianAudio.com. Simon Vance did an outstanding job reading this short text, even using a sweet accent in the process.
June 21, 2012
This review first appeared on my blog, Jacob's Café (jacobscafe.blogspot.com).
Many people know Eric Liddell from the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire. What many people don't know is he also gave up the life of an athlete to be an overseas missionary.
In the short, The Disciplines of the Christian Life, Liddell presents a fundamental (not to be confused with fundamentalist) theology and encouragements for basic spiritual disciplines. I was impressed with his knowledge of biblical scholarship and historical-critical methodologies. At the same time, I found myself tuning out a lot while listening to the book. That may have been because there was a lot on my mind or because I can't really say there was much in the book I hadn't heard elsewhere.
I don't have any complaints about it, and it's probably a good introductory resource to theology and how God relates to the world. I enjoyed some of the preface history of Liddell. Simon Vance's (the narrator) Scottish accent was also a nice change from many audiobooks. It was an understandable accent (some Scottish accents are incomprehensible to non-Scots) and brought a bit of authenticity to the work, as Liddell was Scottish.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Many people know Eric Liddell from the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire. What many people don't know is he also gave up the life of an athlete to be an overseas missionary.
In the short, The Disciplines of the Christian Life, Liddell presents a fundamental (not to be confused with fundamentalist) theology and encouragements for basic spiritual disciplines. I was impressed with his knowledge of biblical scholarship and historical-critical methodologies. At the same time, I found myself tuning out a lot while listening to the book. That may have been because there was a lot on my mind or because I can't really say there was much in the book I hadn't heard elsewhere.
I don't have any complaints about it, and it's probably a good introductory resource to theology and how God relates to the world. I enjoyed some of the preface history of Liddell. Simon Vance's (the narrator) Scottish accent was also a nice change from many audiobooks. It was an understandable accent (some Scottish accents are incomprehensible to non-Scots) and brought a bit of authenticity to the work, as Liddell was Scottish.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 29, 2012
It was not what I was expecting, but I was not disappointed. I was expecting something along the lines of Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster (discussions of things like prayer, study, solitude, etc.). Instead, it was a good book about basic Christian beliefs, with each month covering a different topic. Since I listened to the audiobook, I'm not sure how each chapter/month is formatted; from the audiobook, it didn't seem to be broken down further into readings for days or weeks.
There were some really great quotes that I hope to be able to jot down, and I'm listening to it again in order to soak it in a little more. You can definitely tell that the book was written several decades ago, but it isn't hard to understand. It just lacks the more modern-day approach of personal stories woven into the discussions.
I really liked the book, and it's been an encouragement to me. I would recommend it to someone looking for a concise overview of the Christian faith.
[christianaudio.com free book of the month for August]
There were some really great quotes that I hope to be able to jot down, and I'm listening to it again in order to soak it in a little more. You can definitely tell that the book was written several decades ago, but it isn't hard to understand. It just lacks the more modern-day approach of personal stories woven into the discussions.
I really liked the book, and it's been an encouragement to me. I would recommend it to someone looking for a concise overview of the Christian faith.
[christianaudio.com free book of the month for August]
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